The present invention is directed to xe2x80x9cquick couplingxe2x80x9d connectors and, more particularly, to improvements in the quick coupling connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,626.
The connector described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,626 has many advantageous features and has proved useful in the marine fluid handling field. Such a connector must be manually manipulated to effect connection and disconnections. One disadvantage of the aforementioned connector, however, is that at least two separate manual operations are required to effectively lock or unlock the connector. That is, both the lock ring and the retainers must be manipulated separately to couple or decouple the connector. It would be desirable, therefore, to retain the advantages of this style connector while simplifying and facilitating its use.
The present invention is directed to a connector, comprising a first connector segment having a laterally extending flange, and a second connector segment having a body and a pair of opposed retainers adapted to releaseably maintain the first and second connector segments in mated relationship. Each of the retainers has a lever spaced laterally from the second connector segment body, the lever being joined to the second connector segment body at a base end and having a latch at a free end. The lever is also joined to the second connector segment body by a fulcrum wall positioned intermediate the ends of the lever an outwardly facing cam surface is provided on the lever between the fulcrum wall and the base end. A slide ring is disposed over the second connector segment retainers, the slide ring being moveable from a first position adjacent the latch of each retainer to a second position of engagement with the cam surface of each retainer. The latch of each retainer is engageable with the flange of the first connector segment to prevent uncoupling of the first and second connector segments.
The latches of each retainer are locked in engagement with the first connector segment flange when the slide ring is in the first position, and the latches of each retainer are disengaged from the first connector segment flange to thereby permit uncoupling of the connector segments when the slide ring is in the second position.